Adjustable garment rack



June 7, 1966 E. F. SCHILD 3,254,774

ADJUSTABLE GARMENT RACK Filed March 27, 1964 2 Sheets-$heet l INVENTOR M. wf" a f QJWTTORNEYS June 7, 1966 E. F. SCHILD 3,254,774

ADJUSTABLE GARMENT RACK Filed March 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,254,774 ADJUSTABLE GARMENT RACK Edwin F. Schild, 1644 77th Court, Elmwood Park, Ill. Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,265 Claims. (Cl. 21l-l82) This invention relates generally to a rack for storing or displaying hanging garments and the like.

More particularly the invention relates to a rack constructed for rapid assembly and disassembly and which provides a basic rack section that can be conveniently connected to one or more similar sections to provide a continuous rack having a length equal to or greater than two basic sections. In addition, the inventi-on includes novel means for connecting the basic sections and also features details of construction for adjusting the height of the racks, for leveling the racks, for facilitating and compacting packaging of the racks in disassembled form and for providing simplified assembly procedures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment rack constituted of a basic rack section that can be easily connected to one or more similar sections to provide a long, continuous rack.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment rack incorporating provisions for easy and rapid assembly and disassembly.

Still a. further object of the present invention ishto provide a garment rack comprised of separable components to facilitate packaging of a rack in disassembled form.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of simply designed yet effective means for` connecting the various components of a basic rack section and for connecting 4two or more basic sections to provide a longer, continuous rack.

Yet another object of the present invention is to incorporate means lfor easily adjusting the height of the rack.

M-any other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.

On the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of two basic rack sections constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and connected by means including a spacer rail for providing a long, continuous rack;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a rack rail and associated parts illustrated in somewhat exploded form to show the relation between the various parts;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a rail connector or coupling;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a cross-support brace member of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical elevational view of a lower portion of a rack leg member with parts thereof shown in elevation;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a top portion of a rail support member having a rail connected thereto with parts shown in elevation;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a rail support member an-d a leg member with a locking pin for connecting the two shown in elevation.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a pair of basic rack assemblies or stands indicated generally Iat reference numerals 10 and 11 and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The assemblies 10 and 11 are similar and each comprises gener-ally a pair of parallel spaced horizontally ice extending rails 12 and 13 supported on a pair of rail support sections 14 and 16.

In order to rigidity the rail support sections a cross support brace member 17 is detachably secured thereto for interconnecting the rail support `sections 14 and 16 and for maintaining the sections in fixed assembly.

One aspect of the present invention resides in the provision of means for interconnecting two or more basic rack assemblies in order to provide a long, continuous, uninterrupted rack and for this purpose a pair of spacer rails 18 and 19 are shown connecting rails 12 and 13 of the rack assemblies 10 and 11.`

The spacer rails can be fabricated for any given length to provide a span in between basic rack assemblies limited only by the strength of the spacer rails and the Weight or load to which they are subjected. In addition the spacer rails can be omitted completely 1and the rails of the basic rack assemblies can be directly interconnected, as will become more apparent hereinafter.

The rail support sections 14 and 16 are more particularly characterized las comprising a pair of vertical support m-embers 20 and 21 which extend vertically under the rails 12 yand 13 respectively in order to support the rails and are maintained in spaced, parallel, coextensive relation by means of a pair of horizontally extending bar members 22 and 23 which are connected in fixed assembly by any suitable means, for example, a weld as at 24 to the upper and lower end portions respectively of the support members 20 and 21.

The vertical support members 20 and 21 lare hollow and may present a square configuration in horizontal cross-section and in order to provide for vertical adjustment thereof for regulating the height of the rails 12 and 13, each of the support members is provided with a leg member as at 26 which is housed within the support member `and is telescopically extensible therefrom. The leg members are provided with a plurality of vertically spaced holes as at 27 through which may be extended a locking pin 2S which also extends through a hole as at formed in the lower portion of the support member for locking the leg in a desired position of vertical adjustment. At the lower end of each of the leg members 26 is a leveler 29 which may be utilized vfor fine vertical adjustment to accommodate any uneveness in a floor surface or other support upon which the rack may be situated.

The rails 12 and 13 and the spacer rails 18 and 19 are similarly constructed and may comprise holloaw, elongated tubing constructed of any material 'having suitable properties of strength and inflexi'bility and may also 'be chrome-plated to enhance the appearance of the rails as well as to reduce wear. Referring to vFIGURE 2, a pair of rail sections 12a and 18a, which may correspond, for example, to the rail 12 and the space rail 18 of FIGURE 1, are illustrated in axial alignment and it will be noted that each of the rails have a pair of longitudinally spaced and aligned dimples 30 and 31 formed in the outer periphery of a tubular wall member 32 and which project radially inwardly as at 33from an inner surface 34 of the wall 32.

In order to interconnect rails 12a and 18a in the event that it is desirable to provide a lengthened, continuous rail, the invention contemplates the provision of a rail coupling or connector 36 having an elongated cylindrical configuration and having a peripheral wall 37 dimensioned such that the outer diameter thereof is only slightly less than the diameter of the inner surface 34 of the rails 12a and 18a.v

In connected assembly, the coupling 36 is inserted in telescopic relation substantially an equal distance into the rails 12a and 18a. Substantially axially centrally of theconnector 36 is formed an enlarged diameter radially outwardly extending annularly shaped collar 33 comprised of a pair of axially spaced shoulder surfaces 39 and 40 joined by an outer peripheral wall 41. In connected assembly, the connector 36 is inserted at the ends thereof into the rails 12a and 18a until interfacing ends 42 and 43 thereof abut the shoulder surfaces 39 and 40 of the connector. The diameter of the peripheral wall 41 and the outer diameter of the walls 32 of the rails are equal, such that when the rails and the connector are telescopically assembled, the outer walls thereof will present a continuous, uninterrupted surface.

As illustrated, a pair of axially aligned grooves 44 and 46 are formed in the outer periphery of the connector 36 and extend respectively from end walls 47 and 48 axially inwardly a given distance tolward the collar 38.

Also formed in the outer periphery of the connector are two pairs of transverse grooves which intersect, respectively, grooves 44 and 46. Each of the pairs comprises one groove 49 which intersects its respective axial groove at the inner terminus thereof and another groove 50 which intersects the axial groove substantially centrally thereof.

When the rails 12a and 18a are telescoped over the ends of the connector 36, the dimples 30 and 31 of the rails are aligned with the axial grooves 44 and 46 of the connector in order to permit insertion thereof and when the ends of the rails are in abutting engagement with the shoulder surfaces 39 and 40 respectively, the dimples will be in radial alignment with the transverse grooves 49 and 50.

It lwill be noted that the transverse grooves are formed such as to provide a pair of generally helically wound threads as at 51 and 52 which are inclined toward the center or collar 38 of the connector and which terminate,

vas best illustrated in FIGURE 3, in circu-mferentially spaced relation to provide a solid portion 53 therebetween. It will be apparent therefore, that after the -rails are telescoped over the connector, rotation of the rails in clockwise or counterclockwise direction relative to the connector will have the effect of threading the respective dimples 30 and 31 thereof into grooves 51 or 5-2 in order to engage the rails and the connector in threaded relation and also to urge the ends 42 and 43 of the rails into snug abutment with the collar 38 of the connector.

In order to provide a protective surface as well as to enhance the appearance of the racks, the open ends of the rails may be fitted with a rail end plug as indicated at 54 which `comprises a cylindrical body portion 56 dimensioned to be inserted into the end of a rail and grooved as at 57 and 58 in a manner similar to the grooves of the connector 36 in order to `be threaded onto the rail by means of a dimple, and is more particularly characterized as comprising an enlarged head portion S9 to overlie the end of the rail to provide an abutment for articles which may be hung on the rails and a smooth, rounded outer surface 60 for covering the exposed edges of the rails.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the cross support brace mem ber 17 comprises an elongated unitary member 61 having reversely extending flange portions 62 and 63 at the ends thereof and apertured as at 64 to receive a fastener member such as a bolt (not shown) for connecting the ends of the members 61 to opposite horizontal bar members 22 and 23 of a pair of rail support sections 14 and i16. A pair of holding plates as at 66 are fastened in off-set relation to opposite sides of the members 61 by suitable fastening means, for example, a pair of rivets as at 67. Also fastened to the plates 66 are a pair of shorter members 68 and 69 connected for pivotal movement by means of a single rivet as at 70 and flanged and apertured as at 71 and 72 at the distal ends thereof for connecting by suitable fastening means to corresponding bar members of the rail support sections 14 and 16.

Thusly constructed, the cross support brace member 17 is particularly suited fo-r compact packaging in a dis- 4 assembled configuration as illustrated in the solid lines of FIGURE 4, and as shown in the dotted lines 73, the shorter members 68 and 69 can be easily pivoted when the brace member 17 is unpackaged and assembled.

Another feature of the invention resides in the arrangement for connecting a rail to a vertical support member and in FIGURE 6, wherein like parts are given like reference numerals, a support member 20 is provided with means `for supporting a rail 12 wherein a rail support block mem-ber 74 is adapted to securely mount the rail on the support member.

More particularly, the block lmember 74 constitutes a rst portion 76 dimensioned exteriorly thereof complementarily to an inner surface 77 of the support member 20 for insertion into a top open end of the support member defined by an upper wall 78 thereof.

A sec-ond portion 79 of the block member 74 is enlarged such as to define a lateral shoulder surface 80 at the uppermost end of the portion 76 to be received in abutting engagement by the top wall 78 of the support member 20. An upper surface 81 of the block member is contoured as at 82 to provide a seat for the rail 12.

The lower or first portion 76 of the block member 74 is laterally expansible, that is, can be spread against the inner surface 76 of the support member 20, and for this purpose may be made of plastic or like resilient mate- An upwardly converging conical cavity 83 is formed in a lower surface 84 of the block member 'for receiving a complementarily shaped expander member 86 which may be urged upwardly into the cavity `83 for laterally expanding the lower porti-on 76 of the block member for preventing withdrawal thereof after assembly.

In order to urge the expander 86 into the cavity 83, and also to clamp the rail 12 onto the Iblock member 74, an elongated stud 87 is inserted through a pair of diametrically opposite bores 88 and 89 formed in the rail 12 and also through aligned bores 90 and 91 formed respectively in the Iblock members 74 and the expander 86. The top end of the stud 87 -forms an enlarged head 92 tapered as at 93 for contiguous engagement with a depressed surface 94 surrounding the bore 88. The lower end of the stud =87 is threaded as at 96 for engagement with threads 97 formed in the bore 91 of the expander whereby rotation of the stud to thread the lower portion thereof into the expander will tend to urge the expander upwardly into the cavity 83 of the block member 74.

A slot 98 may be formed in the head portion 92 of the stud to `facilitate rotation thereof by means of a tool such as a screw driver.

In FIGURE 7, wherein parts similar to parts shown elsewhere are given like reference numerals, a leg member 26 is shown telescopically inserted into a vertical member 20 for purposes of adjusting the height of the rack. It will 'be noted that a pair of aligned holes 100 and 101 formed in the support member y20 are .dimensioned substantially similarly to and alignable with the holes 27 formed in the leg member 26.

In order to lock the leg member and the support member in any position of vertical adjustment and also to provide for quick change of adjustment as well as quick disassembly, the locking pin 28 comprises an elongated cylindrical `body portion 102 grooved at opposite ends thereof as at 103 and `104. The body portion 102 is diametered such as to be readily insertable into the aligned holes formed in the support member 20 and the leg member 26, and when assembled is inserted such that the adjacent holes of the support member and the leg member are aligned with one of the grooves 103 and 104. After such alignment, a downward force on the support member 20 will tend to move the peripheral walls of holes and 101 into engagement with a top portion 106 of the peripheral walls of grooves 103 and 104, and the peripheral walls of the holes 27 of the leg member into engagement with a lower surface 107 of grooves, .thereby not only locking the leg member and the support member in vertical adjustment, Ibut also precluding axial withdrawal of .the locking pin `28 While a load is being supported `by the support member 20.

In order to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of the locking pin 28, an enlarged head portion 105 may be formed at one end thereof.

The degree of vertical positioning of the racks by means of the locking pin arrangement is determined by the vertical spacing of the holes .in the support members and the legs, and in order to provide fine vertical adjustment as Well as to compensate for -uneven iioor surfaces or the like, .the leveler member 29, as best illustrated in FIGURE 5, includes a threaded stud 107 adapted to lbe received in a threaded tbore 108 of a foot plug |109 inserted into `the bottom open end of a' vertical support member 20. Rotation of the leveler 29 will correspondingly vary the elevation of the rack, and in order to facilitate rotation thereof a nut mem-ber 110 is fixedly .connected to the stud 107 lwhereby a conventional tool such as a wrench can be utilized to rotate the leveler, even when the rack is loaded with garments'.

For purposes of appearance and to facilitate cleaning, the leg members 26 may also be chrome-plated and this may :be particularly advantageous in such instances when a water mop is used in cleaning the iioor surface upon which the rack rests. manufacturing costs, .the connectors 36, the rail end plugs 54, the block members -74 and the -foot inserts 109 may all be formed of plastic material or the like.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in `the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such moditications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution .to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment rack comprising,

a plurality of horizontal rails,

a plurality of hollow elongated vertical support members under said rails and open at the top ends thereof,

a rail support block member for each `of support members comprising a lfirst portion dimensioned to be inserted into the open top end of its respective support memberand an enlarged second portion dimensioned to overlie and ybottom on the top end of its respective support member,

said first portions each being made of resilient material and being laterally expansible `for tight pressing enga-gement with the inner surface of its support member upon insertion thereof to prevent withdrawal thereof from said support member, said second portions each having a top surface contoured complementarily to said rails for receiving and for supporting one of said rails,

an upwardly converging conical cavity formed in the bottom end of each of said first portions,

a complementarily shaped expander member in each of said cavities, and

means extending through each of said block members and through the respective rail supported thereby and engaging its respective expander member for clamping said rail onto said block member and for urging its expander mem-ber into its cavity to expand its tirst portion laterally into its respective support member.

2. A garment rack comprising,

a plurality of horizontal rails,

a plurality of hollow elongated vertical support members under said rails and open at the top ends thereof,

a rail support block member for each of said support members comprising a first portion dimensioned to be inserted into the open top end of its respective support member and an enlarged second portion In addition, in order to reducedimensioned to overlie and bottom on the top end of its respective support member,

said first portions each being made of resilient material and being laterally expansible for tight pressing engagement with the inner surface of its support member, said second portions each having a top surface contoured complementarily to said rails for receiving and for supporting one of said rails, an upwardly converging conical cavity formed in the bottom end of each of said first portions, a complementarily shaped expander member in each of said cavities,

a plurality of studs each of which extends vertically through a block member and the rail supported thereon and into its respective expander member,

a threaded portion of each of said studs, and

a complementarily threaded bore in each of said expanders for receiving the threaded portion of its stud,

whereby rotation of a stud will urge its expander into the cavity of its respective block member to expand and to prevent withdrawal of its block member from .its support member and for clamping its respective rail to its block member.

3. A lgarment rack according to claim 2 wherein the rails have vertical openings receiving the studs and the openings are provided with a recessed shoulder means for supporting heads on the studs, the upper surfaces of the studs conforming substantially to the contour of the outer surface of the rails.

4. A garment rack assembly comprising, in combination,

a first stand for one end of the assembly,

a second stand for the other end of the assembly,

each of said stands comprising,

at least two pairs of vertical support members,

at least two horizontally extending bar members interconnecting each of said pairs of vertical support members,

diagonally extending reinforcing members extending between the horizontal bar members to provide a rigid self-supporting stand usable separately from the rack assembly, and

a pair of horizontal smooth tubular rails extending parallel along the top of the stand, each of said rails supported adjacent each of its ends by one of said vertical support members,

a pair of horizontal smooth tubular spacer rails for extending between said first and said second stands, and

connectors telescopically mounting the ends of said spacer rails respectively to the inner facing ends of said rails of said first and said second stands whereby said spacer rails interconnect said rst and said second stands and are supported solely at their ends by said first and said second stands,

the other ends of said racks of said rst and said second stands being adapted to telescopically receive additional ones of said connectors for adding additional spacer rails and stands to said rack assembly.

5. A garment rack assemblypas defined in claim 4 and including finishing end plugs removably inserted into the exposed other ends of said rails of said first and said second stands.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,381,663 6/1921 Roeder 248-354 1,516,281 11/1924 Eisner 211--182 1,668,538 5/1928 Brandt 24S-188.5 1,730,618 10/1929 Mayo 248354 (Other references on following page) 'Z UNITED STATES PATENTS Fenstermaker 108-107 X Austin 287-54 Lindenmeyer 287-2 X Caskie 248-354 X 5 Lieberman 24S-188.2 X Farley 287-54 Bernard 287-54 X S FOREIGN PATENTS 338,856 11/1930 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E, HARRIS, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GARMENT RACK COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL RAILS, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW ELONGATED VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBERS UNDER SAID RAILS AND OPEN AT THE TOP ENDS THEREOF, A RAIL SUPPORT BLOCK MEMBER FOR EACH OF SUPPORT MEMBERS COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION DIMENSIONED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE OPEN TOP END OF ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER AND AN ENLARGED SECOND PORTION DIMENSIONED TO OVERLIE AND BOTTOM ON THE TOP END OF ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID FIRST PORTIONS EACH BEING MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL AND BEING LATERALLY EXPANSIBLE FOR TIGHT PRESSING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF ITS SUPPORT MEMBER UPON INSERTION THEREOF TO PREVENT WITHDRAWAL THEREOF FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID SECOND PORTIONS EACH HAVING A TOP SURFACE CONTOURED COMPLEMENTARILY TO SAID RAILS FOR RECEIVING AND FOR SUPPORTING ONE OF SAID RAILS, AN UPWARDLY CONVERGING CONICAL CAVITY FORMED IN THE BOTTOM END OF EACH OF SAID FIRST PORTIONS, A COMPLEMENTARILY SHAPED EXPANDER MEMBER IN EACH OF SAID CAVITIES, AND MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH EACH OF SAID BLOCK MEMBERS AND THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE RAIL SUPPORTED THEREBY AND ENGAGING ITS RESPECTIVE EXPANDER MEMBER FOR CLAMPING SAID RAIL ONTO SAID BLOCK MEMBER AND FOR URGING ITS EXPANDER MEMBER INTO ITS CAVITY TO EXPAND ITS FIRST PORTION LATERALLY INTO ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER. 